IT’S distressing that antisocial behaviour, including drug use in our public spaces, is something that constituents increasingly tell me they are concerned about.

What is also sad is that our ability to tackle this is as an issue is now depleted.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is not easy and requires a co-ordinated response.

We are fortunate to have many skilled people working in our communities and a police service with professionalism and expertise.

Yet austerity has hit rural communities such as ours particularly hard.

Police cuts have inevitably affected the ability of rural forces to provide time-honoured community policing.

Cuts hit rural forces like ours particularly hard as they are forced to spread resources geographically.

Since 2010, Gloucestershire constabulary has lost 254 police officers, around 20 per cent of its force.

The cuts are not happening in isolation.

Similarly youth services have been cut and it is harder to access treatment for drug or alcohol addiction.

But it’s not just about lack of funding.

Increasingly there seems to be a fragmentation of our ability to provide ‘joined-up’ action to tackle problems.

This summer Labour called on the Government to recruit 10,000 police officers to put the police back on the front foot, reverse the ‘crisis’ in neighbourhood policing and put officers back in the communities.

In the meantime though, I will be talking to our local services and communities to look at the best way forward, ensure those that need help receive it, and that our streets, towns and parks can remain safe, vibrant places for everyone to enjoy.

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